New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1 (NY-ESO-1) peptide (SLLMWITQC) presented by HLA-A*02:01 (NY-ESO-1/HLA-A*02:01)

NY-ESO-1 (New York esophageal squamous cell carcinoma 1), encoded by the CTAG1B gene, is a prominent member of the cancer-testis antigen family (UniProt P78358). It is characterized by high expression in various malignant tumors—such as synovial sarcoma, melanoma, and multiple myeloma—while remaining virtually absent in healthy adult tissues, except for the germ cells of the testis and placenta (PubMed: 9491062). The specific immunodominant peptide SLLMWITQC (residues 157-165) is processed intracellularly and presented on the cell surface by the HLA-A*02:01 major histocompatibility complex (PubMed: 10359807). This peptide-MHC complex serves as a highly specific target for immunotherapy, particularly for engineered T-cell receptor (TCR-T) therapies and TCR-like bispecific molecules (PubMed: 29563103). Drugs targeting this complex, such as the FDA-approved afamitresgene autoleucel, utilize modified T cells to recognize the antigen and induce targeted lysis of tumor cells (FDA, 2024). Because the target is a peptide-MHC complex rather than a surface protein, it allows the immune system to target intracellular proteins that are otherwise inaccessible to traditional antibody-based therapies.

Other names

NY-ESO-1 (157-165) peptide-HLA-A*02:01 complexSLLMWITQC-HLA-A*02:01CTAG1B-derived peptide-MHC complexNY-ESO-1 p157-165

Engineered T-cell receptors (TCRs) or TCR-like antibodies bind specifically to the NY-ESO-1 peptide-HLA complex, inducing T-cell mediated cytotoxicity against tumor cells.